TLDR
- OKX Ventures will pay $53 million for a 19.6% stake in South Korean crypto exchange Coinone
- Korea Investment & Securities (KIS) is making an identical $53 million investment for the same stake
- The combined deal is worth 160 billion Korean won (~$106 million), pending regulatory approval
- Coinone CEO Cha Myunghun will remain the largest shareholder with 27.8% and keep management control
- The deal follows Samsung investing $408 million in Upbit parent Dunamu and Mirae Asset buying a 92% stake in Korbit
OKX Ventures, the investment arm of global crypto exchange OKX, has agreed to buy a 19.6% stake in South Korean crypto exchange Coinone for 80 billion Korean won, or about $53 million.
Another BIG investment news from Korea🇰🇷
OKX Ventures (@OKX_Ventures) is investing $53M in Coinone for 19.6% stake in the South Korean exchange.
This comes a day after 3 Samsung companies said they're buying stakes in Upbit. Korea's crypto scene is getting a major facelift👀 pic.twitter.com/JawTnMwQ3d
— Danny Kunwoong Park (@ParkKunwoong) May 29, 2026
Korea Investment & Securities, one of South Korea’s largest brokerages, is making an identical investment. Both firms will become joint third-largest shareholders in Coinone once the deal closes and gets regulatory approval.
The combined deal is worth 160 billion won, or roughly $106 million. It will be structured through a mix of buying shares from existing holders and subscribing to newly issued shares.
Coinone CEO Cha Myunghun will remain the exchange’s largest individual shareholder with a 27.8% stake. He will also keep management control of the company. Gaming company Com2uS Holdings and its affiliates will hold 25%.
Why OKX Is Betting on South Korea
South Korea is one of the most active retail crypto markets in the world. OKX vice president of global markets Netero Dai said the country’s regulatory framework is “highly respected globally” and called the investment a reflection of the firm’s belief in compliant financial infrastructure.
The deal follows Binance’s earlier acquisition of South Korean exchange Gopax. Global crypto firms have been looking for footholds in the Korean market as local demand for digital assets remains strong.
Coinone is one of only five exchanges licensed to operate legally in South Korea. That makes it a regulated entry point for any international firm looking to serve Korean users.
Stablecoins and Tokenized Securities on the Agenda
Korea Investment & Securities said it plans to work with Coinone on security tokens and stablecoins. This comes as South Korean regulators are developing a broader legal framework for digital assets called the Digital Asset Basic Act.
That legislation has faced delays, and its exact timeline remains unclear. But major financial institutions are not waiting. They are moving now to build positions in the crypto sector ahead of any formal rules.
OKX Ventures and Coinone also plan to share knowledge on user protection, security, and risk management.
The Coinone deal is part of a broader wave of institutional investment into Korean crypto. On Thursday, three Samsung subsidiaries announced a $408 million investment in Dunamu, the parent company of Upbit, South Korea’s largest crypto exchange, for a combined 4% stake.
Mirae Asset, which manages over $665 billion in assets, announced in February it would acquire a 92% stake in Korbit. Major banks including KB Kookmin and Shinhan have also formed partnerships with blockchain networks including Solana and Avalanche to test payment systems using stablecoins and tokenized deposits.
OKX confirmed the deal on May 29, 2026. It formalizes earlier reports from Yonhap News that said OKX and KIS were considering buying around 20% stakes in Coinone.
The transaction still requires regulatory approval before it is finalized.
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